Struggling to Move On
by ViviBlack
Summary: Tempest Rayne had everything she could hope for, a successful career as a professional quidditch player and a spokeswitch, but one change causes her to rethink and readapt to the world around her. George/Oc. Continuation of One Letter.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Nothing familiar belongs to me. Everything you recognize belongs to those who own the rights to it. The USQL and all its teams belong to Rowling and AZScorpions24 whose fic on the league can be easily found on my favourites. With the obvious exception of my various original characters that can also be found in my fic _One Letter_**

_Okay, I told myself that I was going to wait a whiile and see if anyone would actually leave a review for One Letter before I started posting on this one. I'm not quite done writing it and although this will be after a while a George/OC fic, it finds its beginning in One Letter and I suggest that anyone reading this might want to go back to get the background information on a few things in this one, but I think most of it will be pretty self-explanatory if you don't. This fic has been in the back of my head for a while and I've tried many times to start it but until now I just couldn't get it right. I hope that you'll be sweet enough to leave me a review or two so I know to continue. __Love and such~ Vivi_

Chapter One

_May 4, 1998, London, England... _

It had been two days but deep down, he knew that no matter how much time passed, he would still be expecting to see his twin appear next to him at any moment. George Weasley pushed a hand through his hair and continued to look through the showroom of the shop that he and Fred had put their hearts and souls into. Surprisingly, there wasn't half as much damage as he had expected and he might even have the shop up and running before Hogwarts reopened in the fall.

"What's this?" His younger brother, Ron, asked as he pulled out a tube shape package. "I'm not certain."

George frowned for a moment before he realised where the container came from. "Oh, I remember Fred bringing that in." He popped the tube open and out slid a poster.

Ron took it up and let out a whistle as he eyed the female on it. "US Brooms. Can I have this?"

George eyed the gorgeous redhead who smiled and winked as she held out one of the models that US Broom had put out in the last year. Her long hair fell about her in a vibrant cloud of burgandy and the black bikini she wore hid only enough to make her decent. He found it hard to believe that she was supposed to be one of the US's best beaters. He shrugged the thought off as he almost heard Fred explaining that the Americans had never been all the great at Quidditch, perhaps, they were taking looks over talent.

_New York..._

Tempest Rayne dodged a bludger as it came at her head and at the same time managed to smack it back in the direction it came from. Her blue eyes sparkled with anticipation as two more of the balls came her way as the one that had almost hit her flew towards another beater. She had been hitting bludgers for the last five hours and that was after a usual practice with the USQL team she played for. The two reserve beaters were lagging as they had been for a good hour now. Max Templeton, her usual partner as beater, flew in close and smacked one of the balls away before it got near her. She growled in response.

"Didn't you have some big family to-do this evening?"

"What time is it?"

"Eight."

Tempest said a few words that her mother would never like to hear come out of any of her daughters' mouths. "I gotta go."

"You better shower first."

"They've all smelled me before." She tossed back as she headed towards the ground. Despite her words, Tempest hurried through a quick shower before apparating into her apartment.

_May 20, 1998, England..._

George looked about the crowded garden. He knew without looking that his mother was eyeing him, but that was expected. He knew that everyone was watching him, expecting something. He wasn't sure how to act, after all, he had never not had Fred right next to him. He listened to what the others were saying, but his mind was on trying to figure out exactly where he went from here.

"You know, there is no reason for you to be working so hard on getting that store ready. No one expects it to be reopened overnight."

He opened his mouth to reply to Percy's words. George snapped his mouth closed. He couldn't explain that he was certain that this was what Fred would have wanted. That it was what he wanted. How many times had he and Fred talked about returning to the shop... Returning to other things as well.

_Fitchburg, US..._

Tempest ran a hand through her hair as she glared across the table at one of her older sisters. Winter glared right back at the redhead.

"I'm not saying anything that no one else around here has thought at least once." Winter's grey eyes snapped as she tossed our the words.

More than a few of the people in the room made noises as they tried to find somewhere else to be and something else to be doing.

"Girls." Melissa Rayne moved up next to where her daughters stood. She often joked with others that years working in departments of the American Magical Congress before becoming a member of the Congress itself and her recent bid for presidency came naturally to her after raising seven girls and two boys in her personal life. "This is not the time for this. We've all heard what you have say, Winter, and in the end it means nothing because you know it was her decision. Tempest, I believe that Celeste could use your help."

Tempest gave her mother a quick nod. "Sure, mom." She bussed a kiss on her mother's cheek and headed back towards the room where her twin was.

_June 30, London, England..._

George scribbled on a piece of parchment before him then sat back in his chair. His eyes were drawn to the poster that Ron had put up on the wall. "You're rather cherry, Miss." He muttered, looking at the scantily clad redhead. She blew him a kiss and then gave him a saucy wink. "I do believe that Fred would have liked you."

"George? Are you busy?" Lee Jordan peeked his head into the room. His eyes moved over the now blushing redhead. "Tempest Rayne." He gave her an appreciative look. "I heard that she plays as well as she looks but I doubt it."

"You'll be the one to know." Lee rubbed the back of his neck. "You heard about that."

"I may only hear half as well as I use to but you getting your big break at announcing wasn't something that I could miss." George gave him a grin. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll only be gone for about six months. I'll be back before Christmas."

"Make sure you come this way."

"I will."

They spent some more talking for a while and when Lee left, George returned to his office and began going through some papers. He read and re-read the notes that he had unearthed in a pile of papers that he had simply shoved to the side and never got around to looking at. The papers were mostly a few notes and other odds and ends of Fred's. George had taken out most of the ones about the store, but most of them had to do with his twin reminding himself of certain things. He had amused himself looking over the notes until he found a few scraps that reminded him of something he had forgotten. Notes like 4:00 St. Mungos, lunch at Bistro, and two with a feminine hand cancelling and resceduling dates or simply, "I'm running late-C."

He sat down and met the clear blue eyes of the spokeswitch. "I bet you've never had a moment in which you weren't completely in control, Rayne."

_New York..._

Tempest stared at the two six-month-old boys sleeping in their cribs and their sister in hers. She wasn't sure when her posh apartment had become home to her twin sister and her kids, but at some point, Celeste had moved in more completely after staying with their parents for a short time after having the babies. It wasn't like it had changed her life all that much, if one didn't mind being awakened at odd hours and very early in the morning.

"You're sure you can handle this?" Celeste asked as she pulled on her robes.

"Sure. I've talked to both the coaches and Skylar. They are fine with the change in my schedule." Tempest gave a nonchalant shrug. "Me, Hazel, and our favourite boys are going to spend some time getting to know each other."

"You know them as well as they know themselves. They're barely six months old."

Five hours later, Tempest was far from as certain as she had been when Celeste left. "Okay, kids, please give me a little break. I may look like mommy but I definitely am not her."

Hazel was making a lot of noise happily from a spot on the blanket spread across most of the living room floor, unlike her brothers. Tempest pulled back the diaper. "Oh, baby, what have you left for me, and why didn't I get your mom to tell me which one was which." She somehow managed to get the triplets fed and cleaned and had them happy on the floor for a bit. Meaning that Tempest occasionally had to chase down the now crawling triplets and return them to the blanket every few seconds, which the three thought was a game.

"Tem, what are you doing?" Sean Aston called as he moved through the apartment. He eyed the famous redhead who was trying to bounce both of the boys at the same time, while Hazel decided she wanted attention. "Need some help?"

"Please, god."

"Well, I'm not god but let's see what I can do." He grinned as he picked up one of the boys. "Which is this?"

"I don't know." Tempest moaned as she moved to set down the one she had.

"What is that in your hair? Is that?" He made gagging noises and Tempest pulled the baby he had out of his arms.

"Peas." She glared at him. "At least, I'm going to say it is and hope." She frowned and then looked at the boys. "Okay, I can do this." She looked closely at the twin on the left and then the one on the right. "Okay, this one is Gabriel and this is Flynn." Tempest grimaced. "I think."

_I hope that anyone who reads this will leave me a review, so I know that I should post the next chapter._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Nothing familiar belongs to me. Everything you recognize belongs to those who own the rights to it. The USQL and all its teams belong to Rowling and AZScorpions24 whose fic on the league can be easily found on my favourites. With the obvious exception of my various original characters that can also be found in my fic **_One Letter_

_Well, I finally got some time to post on this story. I won't be posting again to after the first, so Happy Holidays to everyone and I hope you enjoy this chapter.. Love ~ Vivi_

Chapter Two

_Five years later... _

Tempest sat next to her mother. She blinked and tossed her head back as she tried to banish the tears that threatened to fall. When that didn't work, she ran a hand through her hair and rose to her feet. "What the hell had Celly been thinking?" The words came out harsh, but Tempest couldn't help but be mad at her twin for this. She knew deep down that it was not Celeste's fault. It was the fault of some idiot who thought a Chimaera made a good pet. It was the Department for the Control of Magical Beasts fault for not keeping an eye on a man who had broken their laws time and again. It was the fault of the Aurors who had taken her Healer of a twin with them in hopes to get a calming draft or charm on a man they were going to arrest for suspicious activity and possible disappearance of two muggles. Of course, that wasn't the only reason that Tempest was questioning her sister's sanity. How could Celeste possibly believe that Tempest would have the slightest idea how to raise Flynn, Gabe, and Hazel? Those beautiful, beautiful little babies that Tempest adored, but really had no idea of how to take care of them. She stared out the window for a moment and straightened her spine. She would just have to figure it out.

"Temmi," Melissa put a hand on her daughter's arm. "We'll figure this all out."

"It's time to pick the triplets up from school." Tempest shook the hand off of her. She refused to be weak. "I'll owl if I need anything."

"Tempest..." Melissa shook her head and looked over to meet the blue eyes of her husband. "Robert, how can we help her?"

"There is little we can do, but support her in her decisions, just like we did with Celeste." He murmured, wrapping his arm around his wife. "I just wish Tempest had someone to turn to."

Tempest pulled the bill of her baseball cap further down over her eyes. The school that the triplets went to was magical and she knew that more than one of the parents knew who she was. this was proven when a man approached her.

"Oh, wow!" He said as he eyed her appreciatively in her jeans and T-shirt. "You're Tempest Rayne, aren't you? What are you doing here?"

"I..." She trailed off as three blurs of red came flying at her.

"Aunt Tem!" The boys cried out together as they flung themselves on her. Hazel, who looked like a miniature version of her mother, except for her big brown eyes, grinned widely. "Temmi!"

"How are my favourite bludgers? She gave them a smile and looked up at the clearing of a throat. Tempest looked over the woman before her. "Yes?"

"I was hoping to talk to your sister."

"You can talk to me." Tempest's eyes narrowed. How was it possible that she didn't know? It had been over three weeks and was covered by almost all of the American magical publications and several from other countries. "I'm their guardian."

The woman's eyes widened slightly with sudden comprehension as she paled. "Gabe, Flynn, Hazel, could you go and tell Sandy that your aunt is here? She'd really like to meet her."

The kids frowned. They had yet to understand why people always wanted to talk to their aunt, but they went back into the building anyway.

"I was sorry to hear of your sister's accident."

"I have custody of the children in accordance to Celeste's will."

"Do you think..." she trailed off.

"I've been helping my sister with them since they were born." She snapped. "Now, there was a problem?"

"It's simply that... well... Gabriel, Hazel, and Flynn are a bit of a handful and..." She flushed. "This is a terrible time, but I'm afraid that we need to do something about their... their rambunctiousness."

Tempest eyed the woman. "Is that so?" The words came out in something of a low growl.

"I.. uh... I..."

"Flynn! Hazel! Gabe! Let's move!" The boys appeared quickly and eyed their aunt. Hazel followed more slowly behind them. The look on her face was something they had never seen and they shrank back for a moment. "My nephews and niece will not be returning to _this_ school. Please sent their things to my apartment."

"Cool, we don't have to go to school." Gabe grinned.

"Do we get to go to the pitch with you?" Flynn asked with an identical grin.

"We'll see."

"That means no." Hazel rolled her

_December_...

"So Miss Rayne, if you will sign here..." The wizard pointed to a line on the contract. Tempest took up the quill and tried not to notice that the man looked about ready to pee himself in his excitement. "And here. And here." He moved back as she stood up and grinned widely. "Welcome to the Cannons."

Tempest took the man's hand and turned towards the camera to give it her trademark smile. The flash blinded her for a moment and she blinked before rubbing a finger over the bump in her nose, a reminder of her very first time at bat as a professional beater. She had been fifteen and signed on to the New York Bombers, which she was now leaving.

"Miss Rayne, a question?" A reporter called as Tempest began to leave the conference room.

"Just one. I have to finish packing."

"Of course." He smiled at her. "Why the Cannons? I mean, you could have had a contract with just about any quidditch club." The wizard from the Cannons looked aghast at this question as though he had kept these facts from Tempest and was worried that she was going to break contract.

"Flippant or real?"

"Both." The wizard winked at the redhead.

"Well, I didn't want to give up my colors and I believe that the Cannons have a wonderful history and even have several players who are wonderful. They just need a little something to pull them from their slump."

"Is that something you?"

"Oh, no. I'm only a beater. For the Cannons to rise, we need to be a team."

"You could have followed in Aunt Melissa's footsteps." Sean grinned as Tempest reached him.

"Maybe when I'm done playing quidditch."

"I'm going with you."

"Sean, I told you that you don't need to come along."

"My arrant sister works for the Ministry there. I'll just visit for a while."

_London_...

Lee Jordan entered Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes and threw down a copy of the Daily Prophet that he had just picked up. "Oi, Ron, did you read this?"

Ron, who had stopped by with Harry Potter to get George for lunch looked at the paper in confusion. "No, not really. Why?"

"Cannons might actually come out with a win in one of their games next season."

He made a grab for the paper and read the article. "Will she be playing in her bikini?"

"Now, come on, Rayne is quite a player. She was signed with the Bombers at fifteen and was playing within a few months." Lee moved to the poster that still graced the wall of the workshop. "See her nose."

George looked at the poster. He had noticed her nose a while back. It gave her character and kept her from being too perfect. "I've noticed that."

"First time at bat professionally, refused a mediwitch and finished the game. She's a fighter."

"She's going to need to be if she's joining the Cannons." Harry replied as he looked over the article.

Ron frowned. "You don't think she got hurt and is heading to the Cannons because she needs the money."

"Inside sources say she took a rather large cut in pay." Lee replied. "I met her, when I was in the US for a bit a few years back."

"Really?" Ron looked at the poster. "What she like?"

"Full of life, that's the only way I can describe her and that doesn't do her justice at all."

_Fitchburg_...

"You're moving there to find him." Sunny announced as she snapped her fingers.

"Him?" Tempest frowned as she looked at her two younger sisters. The three of them were lazing by the magically charmed pool, watching Flynn, Hazel and Gabe splashing like little dolphins. Sunny and Stormi had shown up not long after Tempest and the kids. After the two wizards with her sisters gapped at her, they took the triplets into the pool. Tempest wasn't worried because she knew one of the two were muggle born and had been a lifeguard while at school with her sisters. He had announced it when the trio wanted to go into the pool.

"You know, their..." Stormi looked at the boys, "f-a-t-h-e-r."

"Father." Hazel piped up from beside her. Stormi jumped and Sunny laughed until Flynn dumped a bucked to water over her. Gave dumped one over Stormi as she laughed at her twin.

"Divide and conquer, very nice." Tempest gave them a nod before shooing them off.

"You encourage them to misbehave." Stormi grinned.

"What if they were yours?"

"They are." Tempest said, looking over at them. They waved to her and she waved back. "Their father is dead. Celeste told me that his name was on the list of casualties for the Battle at Hogwarts."

"Oh, Temmi." Sunny's eyes filled with tears.

"But he had a family and I think they should know Hazel, Flynn, and Gabe."

The girls nodded their agreement. "Off to England with you then."

"But," Sunny bit her lip. "how are you going to find them?"

"I haven't the slightest." Tempest sighed. "One step at a time, girls, one step." She hated to lie but she didn't feel as up to explaining to anyone that at the moment that she knew more about Celeste's Fred and his family than even her sister had known.

_I hope that anyone who reads this will leave me a review, so I know that I should post the next chapter._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Nothing familiar belongs to me. Everything you recognize belongs to those who own the rights to it. The USQL and all its teams belong to Rowling and AZScorpions24 whose fic on the league can be easily found on my favourites. With the obvious exception of my various original characters that can also be found in my fic **_One Letter _

_Well, I have finally found some time to get to a computer for something other than school, so I suppose that I can continue to update this story. For those of you reading this, reviews make me like any writer update faster. Love ~ Vivi_

Chapter Three

_Late January..._

"When you said that you were coming along for a visit, I thought you were actually going to help me with them." Tempest jerked her head towards the yard where the triplets were playing. She eyed Sean who was currently a lump on her couch.

"Good luck with that." His twin, Sian snorted. "Listen, I'm dropping off a couple files at the Ministry and then have to get a couple papers signed. I can take one of them with me, but that's it. I took the boys last time and Hazel and Gabe before that and it was a mess. Only you can handle more than one at a time, Tem."

"Okay, if it won't be a problem, you can take Flynn with you."

"No problem." Sian stuck her tongue out at her twin.

"I'll take Hazel with me." Ashlyn Tanner said as she gave her wand a flick towards her robes. "I'm checking out a possible storefront in Diagon Alley and before that I'm heading to meet Bubby in Hogsmeade."

"Terrific."

"I'm going to run those errands on your fridge to prove that I'm not worthless. I'll take Gabe with me." Sean stood up and stretched. Tempest opened her mouth and he glared at her. "I can handle one of the Rayne terrors."

"I got to get to practice. Kids, come in here!" Tempest eyed her nephews and niece. "You three are being spilt up and must behave or else." The boys pretended to gulp. At six, they were already smart-asses, just as she and Celeste had been. Well, perhaps, a little worse than her and her twin, but she adored them all the same.

Hazel rolled her eyes at her brothers' antics. "Can I go with Aunt Ash?"

"Hey!" Sian called out.

"I can't help it if she likes me best." Ashlyn stuck out her tongue. "Get going, Tem, or you'll be late."

"See you later this evening." She hugged and kissed each of the little redheads. Unlike most six year old boys, her nephews where still too raw from losing their mother to complain over the obvious affection.

_Three hours later..._

"She's going to kill me." Sian hurried through the second level of the Ministry of Magic. "Oh, shit!" She announced loudly to the amusement of a few of the Aurors as she came to a skidding halt and tried to look over the tops of the cubicles.

"Are you okay?"

"It's worse than that." She tried to look below the cubicle walls in hopes of spotting a small pair of feet. "I lost my cousin's kid. She's going to kill me. I swear he was there and then I looked away. Oh, she's going to kill me."

"What's he look like?"

"Red hair, blue eyes." She looked up towards the voice and blinked. "Oh." There was a bit of laughter and she looked to the left of the wizard who she could have been describing to meet a pair of eyes the colour of emeralds. She knew exactly who he was. His picture still showed up on occasion.

"Did someone put you up to this?" The redhead asked.

"Sian, what did Temmi say about you loosing us?"

Her eyes narrowed as she followed the voice to her cousin. "Flynn Rayne, I'm telling Tem all about this. She's told you that you have to listen to me."

"Aw, I didn't do anything. I just..."

"No, just, Flynn." Sian ran a hand through her hair not paying attention to the gapping looks on the two Aurors' faces. "Well, there he is. And we better move. I have to get these papers to the embassy."

"Awesome, can I play with Josh?"

"We'll see. Thanks for the offer of help." Sian grabbed Flynn's hand. "Let's go, chaos."

"I thought I was havoc."

"Nope, that's Gabe and Haze is shambles."

"Aunt Winter doesn't like those nicknames." He smirked at the look on his cousin's face. "I don't like her either."

"Flynn!"

Ron stared at the receding pair. "That boy..."

"Looks an awful lot like George." Harry nodded.

"Doesn't matter, we've always had lots of family. They sounded American."

"Your family isn't the only one with red hair."

"That's true." Ron shook his head and put the occurrence out of his mind.

_Diagon Alley_...

George watched the boy as he darted into an aisle. He might never have noticed him if not for the flash of red as the boy ducked down. His eyes went from the boy to the man who was obviously looking for the kid. He ran his hand through jet black hair and gave the store a bit of a sweep from the doorway. George smirked as the kid moved quickly outwitting the adult. It reminded of how him or Fred might have acted if they had ever been with someone other than their parents. The door rang and a rather pretty witch entered. A little girl about the same age as the boy was with her. Her hair was a darker red and the thick mass was pulled back with a white headband. She wore a pair of white robes with large multicoloured flowers on them that flashed to new colours from time to time. The little girl looked highly amused with what was being said between the adults before the man disappeared outside.

With a sigh, George moved so he was in the direct path of the boy who was trying to outwit his keeper. "Oi." His smile faded for a brief moment as he met a pair of blue eyes in what was a younger version of his own face. It wasn't possible, but maybe, just maybe it was. "Hi, what's your name?" The boy didn't look like he was going to say a word. "It's okay to talk to me. This is my shop."

"Really?" All of the notion of not talking to strangers seemed to disappeared.

"Yeah. So, what's your name?"

"Gabriel," George blinked. "But everyone calls me..."

"Gabe!" The little girl had found the boy.

"Hey, Haze, this guy owns this shop, like Aunt Ash."

"Cool." The girl grinned up at George. "I'm Hazel." She looked at the boy. "Aunt Ash is threatening to skin Sean alive but she won't do it."

"Mom might."

"Yeah, she still hasn't let Sian forget about loosing the three of us at the embassy."

"There you are. Let's go get lunch, Sian and Flynn are meeting us at that one place you all like."

"Near the arcade?" Gabe grinned at the brunette.

"Yeah, it looks like I"m the only one not to loose one of you three." She flicked her wand around the girl and her robes turned into a simple dress and coat before doing the same to the boy's robes. "Sorry, if they bothered you." Her green eyes widened almost imperceptibly before she smiled, thinly. "Anyway, we've got to get going." Her eyes flashed with what might be anger before she moved between George and the kids. "Gabe, Haze, come on."

George shook his head, wondering what the look was for as well as if it was possible... He gave his head another shake. Celeste had her kid with her somewhere in America and would more than likely never come back to England. He picked up a box that had been knocked from a shelf and let out a sigh. Despite the time he had spent on the idea, he was still no closer to finding out who Fred's Celeste was. Of course, all he had to find her was a few hazy memories of the blue-eyed blonde his brother had dated, the fact that she had given birth on December 28, 1997, that her family lived in or near Finchburg, that she may or not have become a full-fledged healer, and her first name.

"Oi, George!"

George barely stopped a groan from leaving his lips as he turned to the mousy-brown haired male who had called him. Dennis Creevy was both a photographer and reporter with the Daily Prophet and one of the most annoying people George knew. "Afternoon, Dennis."

"That little girl that you were just talking to..." He frowned at the much shorter male causing him to take a step back. "Nothing like that, George." He let out a nervous laugh. "I thought that it might be Rayne's kid."

"What?"

Dennis grinned, clearly excited that George looked confused. Hermione had once announced that the reporter was worse than a little old lady when it came to outrageous gossip. "Howard McGraw reports for this rag in the US. He has this idea that Hazel Rayne is the daughter of Tempest Rayne and not her niece. I got a pic of the two at a Cannon's practice. I think he's on to something."

George barely kept from laughing. "Because family doesn't ever look alike." He almost did laugh when Dennis gave him a nod of agreement. "She never said that she was if that's what you're asking."

"The man who was in here. Black hair, odd coloured eyes, was he with the little girl?"

"Before I answer, why?"

"Hedy Claudel has him as Rayne's long standing beau. The pair have been together for ages despite that he openly cheats on her."

George shook his head. "Who would cheat on her?" He asked thinking about the poster hung in his office and the occasional flush that appeared on her cheeks.

Dennis shrugged. "Anyway was Hazel with him? What did she call him?"

"She was with a brunette, Aunt Ash, and called the man, Sean." George shook his head.

"Aunt Ash? I missed her? Ashlyn Tanner's always great for a shot. Opening a store here in Diagon Alley, no one knows anything about where it is. Sean, huh?" Dennis gave another shrug. "I suppose I should get back out there, see if I can run into Ashlyn."

George shook his head and let out a laugh as he watched the reporter disappear. He frowned slightly as he thought of the little girl. Could she be the daughter of Tempest Rayne? After years of having her poster hang in his workroom, he had to say that the little girl was quite possibly what the woman had looked like as a kid, except for those eyes.

_Leaky Cauldron..._

"I need to use the ladies' room before we head to lunch." Sian grinned at the three kids and Ashlyn.

"Me too." Hazel announced.

"Boys?" Sian eyed the pair.

"I don't need to go." Flynn grinned at Sian, who had given him a Sickle for his silence on loosing him and let him play with Josh, the US Ambassador's seven year old son, while she delivered her papers and did a few other things for work.

"I'm not a lady." Gabriel went back to telling his brother about loosing Sean in the greatest store.

"We'll stay at that table over there until you get done." Ashlyn ignored the comment before she herded the boys towards an empty table she had spotted near the muggle entrance. Part way to the table, Flynn dropped his Sickle. The pair took off after it despite Ashlyn telling them not to. She hurried after them. "Boys! Flynn, Gabe, please don't do this!" She followed behind the boys apologising to the either amused or irratated patrons that they knocked into.

"Is this what you're chasing?" A warm voice questioned as a matronly woman held out the runaway Sickle.

Ashlyn let out a sigh of relief as the pair came to a halt . One of them grinned. "Yep, Sian gave to to me."

" It's robbery." put in the other.

"Bribery," Ashlyn corrected, happy to know which boy was which.

"No, Gabe got it right. Sian said it was highway robbery that she had to pay me, I was the one who ran away in the Ministry. I didn't, I was behind her the whole time." He grinned at the brunette.

Ashlyn pinched the bridge of her nose. "You shouldn't play tricks on Sian or Sean." She added looking towards the other boy.

He had the grace to flush. "He was busy flirting and he told me we'd go in."

"Now, how do you think this looks to Aunt Winter?" She hated to do it, but they had to understand that not everyone knew how much Tempest gave up for her twin's kids and how far she would go to keep them safe. "Now, Flynn, manners."

"Oh, thank you for catching my Sickle." He gave the woman the grin he always gave Aunt Tempest to charm her out of anger. Gabriel gave her an identical smile.

"I... um..." The woman stared at the pair for a full moment before giving the coin to Flynn.

"Mum!" A female voice called out as a redheaded young woman hurried forwards. "We need to get to... Oh, wow! You're Ashlyn Tanner." She gushed at the brunette as her mother seemed to unable to do more than stare at the two boys.

"Yes, I am." She smiled warmly at the young woman.

"I loved the dressrobes Tempest Rayne was wearing at that ball before she came here. That was yours wasn't it?" The younger woman smiled. "I'm Ginny..."

"Aunt Ash, can we go now!" Gabriel announced drawing the attention of the young redhead to where her mother had been staring. "There's Sian and Haze. I wanna play some games before we have to go home."

"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, but I promised them, lunch and games." Ashlyn knew better than explain further.

"I still don't understand how I'm just Sian and she's Aunt Ash?" Sian announced coming to a stop by the boys. "I'm the one who's really related to you."

"I dunno." Flynn shrugged.

"I'll take the rugrats and leave you to chat for a few. I think I can handle food when an arcade is promised afterwards."

"Those boys..." The woman trailed off.

"The triplets are the kids of one of my best friends." Ashlyn smiled after the group. "Rambunctious but they have a large family."

This seemed to relax the woman, who Ashlyn seemed to really see for the first time. "Lots of siblings." She smiled, causing Ashlyn to notice her and the younger version of her standing to her side and how much they looked like...

"Oh, the triplets are the only kids but their mother's family's one of the largest I've ever been around. They're a really great family." She wasn't sure why she was trying to get this through to the woman who was very likely the triplets' grandmother if her eyes weren't failing her. "I need to get going. They seem to understand that they can push Sian and Sean. It was nice to meet you." She went to walk away but paused. "Oh, here." She dug into the bag on her arm. "I'm having a little pre-grand opening at my shop in a week. This'll get you and any guests you bring with you in."

"Oh, wow." The younger woman smiled.

"I hope I see you there." Ashlyn smiled and hurried to find Sian.

_Later that evening..._

Tempest hid a yawn as she flicked her wand causing the dinner plates in front of the triplets to move into the sink to be washed. She gave Ashlyn a weak smile as the brunette gave the kids slices of the cake that Tempest had made with help from Hazel. She would read tonight with Gabe and then before practice tomorrow she and Flynn were going for ice cream in Diagon Alley. Tomorrow after practice, she would meet the three at the park after talking to a witch that ran a magical nanny service. She needed to find actual help. She couldn't expect her friends and family to take care of the triplets when she wasn't able. Celeste expected her to raise the kids, not for it to be a joint effort.

"Temmi, you okay?" Sean asked as he wrapped one his arms around the redhead's shoulders.

She leaned her head against him. "I don't know how Celly did this."

"She had you." He smiled. "You have me." At a snort, he added. "Sian and Ash, too. Sunny's about as bad as me, why don't you have her head this way for a bit. Then you can find the perfect person or people to help you, other than us. Stormi will come along. She can sculpt anywhere. It can be your twenty-sixth birthday present."

"My birthday isn't until April."

"Then tell them to come out here and scope out their uncle as you have been doing." Ashlyn murmured as she paused by the pair.

Her head came up and she smacked into Sean's chin. She rubbed the top of her head. "What?"

"You don't think we didn't notice you in Diagon Alley today?" Sean answered rubbing where her head had connected with him. "That's gonna leave a bruise, Tem."

"You mean when you lost Gabe in the store?" She smirked. "The bruise is the least you deserve."

"Brat."

"Pain in the ass." She replied, moving over to the table. She ruffled Flynn's hair and sent Hazel a wink. "All done, Gabe?" Celeste had made sure that she spent time alone with each of the kids. It was something like what their parents did making sure that in nine kids no one felt left out. Sometimes, it might be her father taking her and her older brother, Augustus, or later on her younger brother, Andrew, and sometimes one of their sisters as well, to a quidditch match. Or her mother taking Celeste and her to work with her when they were little. Tempest wasn't sure if the triplets really enjoyed the outings better when it was one, two, or all three with her. Sometimes, especially since they had moved, she felt that they just wanted to be certain that she was going to be there.

"Yeah." He gave her a small smile. Celeste had never been much of a reader until the last couple months of her pregnancy when she was stuck in the apartment on bedrest. She had been surprised when she moved in with Tempest to find the books both muggle and magical that her quidditch crazy sister had in her apartment. Of course, she knew that Tempest lived to play the quidditch and wasn't really interested in the limelight that came with her talent and love of the sport, but a library of sorts came as a surprise. After the triplets were born, a stockpile of children's books came from the various family members like Misty, who lived to learn and read, and the kids liked cuddling with either their mother or her twin for nightly stories as they got older.

"You two can help Sean with the dishes or go bug Sian in the living room. I suggest scare and hide, she really likes that game." Flynn and Hazel grinned widely and took off towards the room that held their cousin.

"Since when does my sister like that particular game?" Sean asked flicking his wand towards the sink.

"She doesn't." Gabe answered.

"I'll go play and even the odds." He headed out the back door.

"How long until the scream?" The boy asked used to the odd game that Tempest and her younger siblings had started with Celeste to annoy their older sister, Winter. Only Sian had ever been known to not end up with laughing with everyone playing since Sean taught the triplets the rules. Basically, one person or more picked the target, snuck up on them, scaring them silly before tearing through the house and/or yard to hide. The last person found became the new target, being quiet after the first scream was important and everyone whispered when found as the group enlarged to the last person's hiding place was found. Then the sequence was repeated.

"Until Sean makes it around the house." The pair paused, heads tilted in the same way as they waited for Sian to yell out. After the initial sound followed by Sian's grumbling, the house fell silent. "Where to, Master Gabriel?"

"Can we go to the blue room?"

"Sure thing. What do you want to read?"

"Places You Go!"

"Aw, one of my favourites." Tempest summoned the book and they headed to the room with pale blue walls and windows that looked out on the backyard.. They curled up together on one of the overstuffed sofas and Tempest began. She had barely gotten through the first sentence when Flynn, who had been hiding in the room came up to them. Tempest scooted so that he had room and continued reading. Before she turned the first page, Hazel came in. She pulled Gabe onto her lap and Hazel to the empty space. The book ended and was replaced with another Seuss classic, Horton Hears a Who.

FGHFGH

"Shh!" Sean put his finger to his lips as Sian and Ashlyn, who had been dragged into the game, came down the hall towards him. They peered down at the four redheads asleep on the pale blue and white striped sofa.

Sian darted down the hall towards the front door and grabbed the camera that Tempest had kept in her bag since the triplets were born. She snapped a quick picture of the scene. "Should we leave them?"

"I would say yes, but Tem has practice tomorrow and her neck will be killing her if she sleeps like that." The two females stared at Sean in surprise. "Why don't we each grab a kid and move them to their rooms before waking her?"

"Wow, who would have thought that you'd grow up." Ashlyn shook her head.

"I think I liked you better when you were in love with me." He replied to the shock of his sister.

"I think I liked you better then, too." She snickered at the look on his face. "Actually, I just had a crush."

"I'm sorry that I was a jackass." He grinned. "You've always been too good for me."

Ashlyn flushed lightly as she took up Flynn. He murmured as he wrapped his arms around the brunette. Sean picked up Hazel with ease. The little girl curled into his arms. He sent a smile at his still shocked twin. Sian hadn't been around when Tempest sat the often sparring pair down for a chat on acting like adults. Shaking her head, she went to gather Gabe. He clung to Tempest, waking the redhead.

"I got him." Tempest bit her lip, when the little boy curled into her upper body.

"Mom," he murmured.

"I gotcha, handsome."

Sian followed her cousin up the stairs to lay him down in the room that he had decorated with help from Tempest, just as his siblings had some control in what their rooms looked like. Flynn's was almost exactly like Gabe's but Hazel's was a bit different. Considering that none of the three knew what the others looked like, it had surprised Sian a bit. She watched Tempest press a kiss to Gabe's forehead. Her cousin checked on the other two giving them kisses as well.

"How long?" Sian finally asked as they entered the kitchen.

"They always called both me and Celly that when they were little and less so when they got older and could tell us apart better, but since..." Tempest bit her lip and looked out the window over the sink for a moment. "Since Celly's death, they all call me that on occasion. I don't know what I should do."

"They know the difference. It just surprised me, Tem."

"Why did you think that McGraw thinks Hazel's ours?" Sean butted in as he heading to grab an apple from a bowl next to the sink. "He heard her calling Tem mom at one of the Bombers' practices."

"Hey, that reminds me. I thought I saw that mousy lookin' photographer today while we were in Diagon Alley." Ashlyn said as she pulled a stool up to the kitchen's bar.

"When Sean lost Gabe in..."

"His dad's shop?" She stuck her tongue out at Sean. "Well, uncle's now."

"Shit, why don't you three ever tell me anything?"

"I suppose that I'm going to have to take the bludger on this one and talk to Mr. George Weasley."

"Why would you do that?" Ashlyn's eyes darkened.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"He never answered Cel's letter that's why."

"Ash, you don't understand." Tempest said quietly.

"What's to understand? Those babies don't need a foolish male who ignores them."

"His twin had just died." Sian tried to intervene.

"Five years ago."

"I don't think he ever read the letter." Sean announced.

"What?" All three females looked at him in confusion.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard." Sian rolled her eyes.

"No, it makes sense. If I was to die like Celly's Fred did and one of my exes showed up..."

"Actually, by the sounds of it, it was more serious than your exes. Maybe when Mindy was living with you." Ashlyn snickered at the dark look this earned her from the male that she now saw as something like a brother.

"He did send Cel away to keep her safe, so she had to mean a lot to him." Tempest nodded in agreement. "You wouldn't want to read that, a month later."

"But years?" Sian questioned.

"What is something happened to the letter?" Sean shook his head. "How many times have you drenched a letter and couldn't read it all?"

Tempest flushed. "Okay, you got me on that, but hasn't everyone done something like that?"

"Exactly." Sean nodded.

"If the idiot I shared a womb with is right, then he may know little or nothing about," Sian motioned towards the upstairs, where the children slept.

"Spectacular." Tempest murmured.

_I hope that anyone who reads this will leave me a review, so I know that I should post _

_the next chapter._


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